Greater New Orleans

God’s Here Part 2/2: Teaching

In Part 1 Veleka Gray became disillusioned with God when her father died and she could not find consolation in church or at home. She became an atheist until she encountered God in an ancient church in Chester, England. Return to the main page and click on Teena L Myers in the category list to read Part 1.

While living in New York, Veleka decided to return to Christianity as a Catholic. She walked into St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue and was greeted by kindly Franciscan Priest. "I would like to become a Catholic," said Veleka. He brought her on a tour of the church, explaining things she had never seen in a Baptist Church.

When they walked into the apse, Veleka encountered the presence of God, "God is here!" she exclaimed.

"Yes," said the Priest. He pointed to a lamp. "When that is lit the presence of God is here."

"I really need to be alone," said Veleka.

The Priest departed and Veleka sat down to have a conversation with God. "Why are you making your presence known to me?

Silence.

"Why me?"

More silence.

Veleka prayed for a while and decided the encounters with God were not personal. She might be aware of God, but he wasn't aware of her.

One evening, Veleka walked into her living room and into the presence of God. "God's here," she exclaimed, and then screamed, "Why are you here?" His presence in her home made the divine encounters personal. A realization that she was meant to do something dawned, but she did not have a clue what to do.

Before she left New York a friend planted a seed in her life. "If you know acting, you can teach." But she lived her life by the principle "Believe nothing, test everything." She was skeptical.

St. Paul's Catholic Church, Los Angeles

She took steps to become Catholic when she relocated to Los Angeles. A year of study with a Paulist Father at St. Paul's Catholic Church produced a rational understanding of her faith. She also developed a desire to serve God and quit working for a season to devote herself to prayer.

One day, she went to St. Paul's early to pray before her class with the Paulist Father began. She wanted to know if she could marry the man she was dating. She stepped into the chapel and encountered a feminine spirit emanating with peace, love, kindness and compassion. "I knew I was in the presence of the Virgin Mary. Think of the perfect mother, the most perfect feminine spirit imaginable. That is what I encountered," said Veleka. "I heard her speak in my thoughts. 'He is not the one.' I was devastated. He was the one I wanted."

Veleka walked into class late. "Where were you?" said the priest.

"I was in the Chapel talking to Mary."

"Mary, the mother of Jesus?"

"Yes, the Virgin Mary was in the Ladies Chapel." At that statement the rest of the class moved away from Veleka and the priest.

"Are you saying there was a spirit in the chapel?"

"Yes, it happens all the time."

"Not to other people," said the priest.

Most of her life, Veleka had been so keenly aware of the presence of God it never occurred to her that others did not experience the same thing.

Three weeks later the priest said to Veleka, "You're not crazy."

"I know that," she replied.

"You have a gift called discernment of spirits."

"How do you know that?"

"I discussed your experience with the Council of Bishops. They prayed for you and told me that you have this gift."

After Veleka was confirmed, she moved to San Francisco. A friend suggested Marin County as a good place to live. Veleka was on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge crossing the San Pablo Bay when she spotted what looked like condominiums overlooking the bay. The thought of living in a condo overlooking the bay appealed to her. She exited on Main Street to investigate. What looked like condos from afar turned out to be San Quentin State Prison.

San Quentin Prison, California

"I was in prison and you came to visit me" became a persistent thought she could not shake (Matthew 25:36). Believing God had called her to do a work at the prison; she looked up the phone number. The prison operator misunderstood her intentions and screamed, "These men are not animals. You can't just come in here and observe them in cages."

"I'd just like to help them in some way." The operator wrote down her driver's license and social security number, so they could verify her identity. The woman who returned her call had watched Veleka on As the World Turns, a daytime soap opera that aired from 1956-2010. She arranged for Veleka to teach a class on personal presentation.

"I'd always thought of prisoners as monsters," said Veleka. "I learned an important lesson. Most of them were scared. I was dealing with human beings who failed. Some of them would not have been in prison if they had money for a decent lawyer."

The class on personal presentation became a spiritual experience. She often felt like a conduit with words from a different source flowing through her. One night, the experience became overwhelming. The hardness in the faces of the prisoners softened and their sins melted away leaving pure souls. Something she said had transformed them, but she didn't know what. The power of God flowing through her terrified her. She quit teaching.

The subject of teaching arose again when she lived in Chicago. One evening she was chatting with a friend who said, "You should teach. You are called to teach. You are supposed to teach. Go teach." The next day, she opened the Chicago Yellow Pages and found 100 pages listing schools. She sent a letter to every school listed inquiring if she could teach without credentials and a college degree, and then followed up with a phone call. Shortly after she finished the mammoth task she received a call from College of DuPage located blocks from her home. Her experience on Broadway and TV had qualified her to teach for them.

"I really loved teaching at College of DuPage," said Veleka. I love taking innocent blank beginner minds and showing them what they want. When they get what they want, I get what I want, which is seeing them get what they want. God wanted me to be a teacher, and I'm glad he did."

Teaching Credentials from http://theactorsalliance.com/. Veleka Gray is a professional actress, acting coach, writer, and producer with credits in film, television, and Broadway.

As an actress, she set a record by starring in nine different roles in six soap operas, seven of which were contract roles...more than any other actor in daytime drama. Her best-remembered parts include Lyla Montgomery on "As the World Turns" and the unusual dual role of Ruby Collins and Dr. Sharon Reaves on "The Young & The Restless." She is the only actress in soap history to play two roles on the same show at the same time that were not related in any way.

During the fifteen years she was on daytime, she was also a judge for the National Emmy awards. For six years she penned a biweekly column for "Soap Opera Digest" and wrote feature articles for other fan magazines.

In 2000 she returned to Louisiana and began training all levels of actors to work in film through her school, The Actors Alliance. She was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 2004.

Teena Myers

Teena L Myers is the author of Finding Faith in the City Care Forgot; a freelance writer; editor of NOLA.com's Faith, Beliefs and Spirituality blog; member of the Southern Christian Writers Guild and The Northshore Literary Society. A Toastmasters International Speech contest winner (Area 14, Spring 2014). She is also a certified Belief Therapist and credentialed minister with the Assemblies of God. Teena lives on the west bank of New Orleans and attends Hosanna Church with her husband who has ministered to children for thirty years. To learn more about Teena and read some of her longer teaching works visit teenalmyers.com Connect with Teena on Twitter